Carry poles and yokes are well recognised and typically used to assist a user to manually transport loads. Generally, a yoke is used by people in one of two ways: a single person who balances the yoke over one or two shoulders, with two separate loads being suspended from respective opposed ends of the yoke; or two people who support the yoke from each end of the yoke, with the load suspended from the centre of the yoke. Similarly, animals may balance the yoke to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs. A yoke typically is a tapered beam made of wood or bamboo, and the load attached to the ends of the yoke may be hung directly from the yoke, without the use of rope. The attachment of the load to the ends of the yoke may also be tied by rope.
Yokes also typically shaped or has carved-out sections to suit the shape of the user's shoulders. An example of which is an oxbow, in which the oxbow is usually U-shaped to adaptably be held on the animal's necks.
Another device such as a bindle or a blanket stick is also used by a single person to assist a user to carry at least one load, in which the at least one load is all at an end of the bindle. The person carries the stick at the other end of the bindle and with the entire array being supported and carried over a shoulder. In reference to bindles, the load is mounted only at end of stick and the system acts as a cantilever across the shoulder of the user. The load is balanced by the pressure on the stick applied across the users shoulder acting as a fulcrum.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,581 describes a hand grip for carrying bags that contains a single hook for holding the bags. A disadvantage with this previous device may be the device not able to provide proper weight distribution in the case of carrying loads.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,266 describes a type of grip also for carrying bags with loop handles with hooks for carrying the bags, and that it is capable of being carried by hand or on a shoulder. A disadvantage with this previous device may be that the hooks may have insufficient support at the ends of the device. Additionally, this design only works with two light weight plastic shopping bags and only works wherein two shopping bags are used at either end of the device. Also, both shopping bags need to be equalled weighted to prevent device failure or user injury.
Other designs have been developed in the past to overcome the disadvantages mentioned above, however, current devices for carrying items and/or loads may include some disadvantages relating to not distributing weight well on one end of the device compared to another end of the device during the use of the device. In light of the aforementioned disadvantages, there exists a long-felt need to provide a device that may overcome one or more shortcomings of carry devices as described in the prior art.
Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way b considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.